Not Applicable
Not Applicable
Aerosol spray containers typically have contents under pressure where the contents are delivered through a very small orifice in a nozzle disposed on top of the canister. A valve is interposed between the nozzle and the pressurized interior of the canister. Typically, the valve is operated by pressing the top of the nozzle assembly, so as to cause the contents of the canister to spray from the nozzle in a conical spray pattern that broadcasts the sprayed contents onto an item.
In many instances it is desirable to direct the spray into a more precise area than achieved by the conical spray pattern typically produced. For this reason extension tubes have been utilized. These tubes have enabled the delivery of the contents of the canister onto a precise area and for reaching areas which are relatively inaccessible. The tube is sized to fit a tube receiving bore that is concentric with the spray orifice of the nozzle, so as to allow the contents of the canister to travel from the spray orifice, through the extension tube, and out the distal end of the spray tube remote from the spray orifice. The extension tube is typically a flexible plastic tube about three or four inches (7.6 to 10.2 cm.) in length, typically having an outer diameter of about 2 mm and having an inner diameter of about 0.7 mm.
By positioning the distal end of the spray tube into the relatively inaccessible area while the proximal end of the spray tube is received into the tube-receiving bore in the nozzle, the contents of the canister may be efficiently and easily delivered into that previously inaccessible area without spraying the contents onto an adjacent area of the item.
A well-known problem in this prior art is that of attaching the extension tube to the canister in such a way that the tube is readily on hand and accessible for future use. Efforts to solve this problem have been unsatisfactory. The spray tube extension generally is only used for certain applications, it is not practical or desirable to permanently affix the spray tube extension to the aerosol nozzle assembly, and, for this reason, the spray tube extension is sized to fit a tube receiving bore that is concentric with the spray orifice of the nozzle for those certain uses of the aerosol spray canister which require such an extension.
Well-known prior art solutions to the problem of affixing the spray tube extension to the aerosol canister have been primarily through mechanical means.
One such use has been affixing the tube to the surface of the canister with cellophane tape. The use of cellophane tape is problematic because the tape and adhesive deteriorates over time as the tape is repeatedly removed and reapplied or the tape is eventually torn as the tube is repeatedly inserted in the space between the canister and the tape. As such, loss of the extension tube is just a matter of time.
Another use has been affixing the tube to the canister through the use of a rubber band wrapped around the circumference of the canister and elastically retaining the spray tube to the canister. The use of a rubber band to hold the spray tube to the aerosol canister is also unsatisfactory in preventing loss because the rubber often deteriorates, causing the rubber band to break or lose its elasticity.
Another use, as illustrated in U.S. Pat. No. 5,824,040, is to affix a larger retaining tube to the canister into which the extension tube is placed. However, this adds size to the space occupied by the aerosol canister, and the retaining tube may fill up with debris and gunk after repeated use and replacement of the extension tube.
It is therefore desirable to produce an aerosol canister with an extension tube that is sized to fit a tube receiving bore that is concentric with the spray orifice of the nozzle of the aerosol canister and whose extension tube is readily accessible for immediate use on a consistent basis.
The present invention in some of its embodiments provides an extension tube or applicator for an aerosol spray container in which the extension tube is magnetically attracted to the outside surface of the container.
Magnetic attraction of the tube to the outside surface of the container may be accomplished in one embodiment by constructing the tube of a ferromagnetic material constructed of an alloy containing iron. The container may also be constructed of a ferromagnetic material such that the container is magnetically attracted to the tube which may be constructed of an alloy containing iron.
The container may be of any type in which matter is held. This includes aerosol containers, spray containers, compressed gas containers, pumps and pump containers, siphoning bowls, and the like. The tube may include rigid tubes, flexible hoses, pump inflation needles, extension tube nozzle attachments for aerosol containers, siphoning tubes, and the like.